North Cotabato, Indonesia agree to boost economic cooperation
Indonesian Consul General Dicky Fabrian and North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco have agreed to embark on joint programs meant to boost the economy of the province......»»
Authorities verifying 13 dead in North Cotabato road mishap
Authorities are still verifying the 13 fatalities in a vehicular accident involving a passenger van that collided with a dump truck along the National Highway in Barangay Luhong, Antipas, around 12:15 p.m. in North Cotabato on March 25, 2024......»»
Philippines, Japan, US foreign officials prepare for tri-summit
As the Philippines prepares for a trilateral summit with Japan and the US on April 11, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro met on Thursday in Tokyo with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Okano Masataka and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell to discuss regional security issues and economic cooperation......»»
Mt. Apo closed from Mar 20-30
Mount Apo, located at the border of Davao del Sur, North Cotabato and Davao City, is temporarily closed to the public.....»»
Philippines, Indonesia agree to boost ties
MANILA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the Philippines and Indonesia on Wednesday agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. Indonesian President Joko Widodo was received in the morning by his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos during a three-day official visit in Manila. After the meeting in the presidential palace, Widodo said during a news conference that he discussed with Marcos ways to e.....»»
COVID’s back: Here’s what you need to know
As colder weather sets in, COVID rates are once more rising across the Northern Hemisphere, with several new variants on the scene. Here's what you need to know. Covid versus seasonal nasties? The COVID pandemic extracted a terrible toll, with nearly seven million deaths worldwide. But thanks to vaccines, prior immunity, and better treatments, the virus is now far more manageable. In the United States, excess deaths -- the total number of people dying for any given cause -- has been normal since spring. "If you asked me to choose between getting flu and COVID, I would pick COVID because each individual case of flu is more dangerous," said Ashish Jha, a former White House COVID coordinator and dean of public health at Brown University. But while COVID is now less deadly to individuals, "it also seems to have higher rates of long-term complications." COVID is also less seasonal than the flu, more contagious, and over the last three US winters peaked from December to January, while flu peaks later. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, placed COVID "on par" with flu and RSV, but stressed it was more severe than the common cold. To boost or not to boost? Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have developed new vaccines that more closely target current variants, all offshoots of Omicron which became dominant in late 2021. There is broad consensus that annual boosters will benefit the most vulnerable. But whether they bring added value to everyone is debated. Nearly everyone has already been infected, studies show. And prior infections combined with vaccines have trained immune systems to stop severe outcomes even when they can't ward off infection. One-size-fits-all recommendations no longer make sense, and could decrease trust in public health, said Monica Gandhi, author of "Endemic: A Post-Pandemic Playbook." For example, the mRNA vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna carry small risks of heart inflammation in younger men. European nations advise annual shots only for higher-risk groups, but some experts don't see downsides in wider recommendations. "People at low risk still derive benefit from boosters," said Ziyad Al-Aly, an epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. The United States recommends that nearly everyone get annual COVID shots. Are masks still useful? Experts diverge on this subject, one of the most controversial of the pandemic. A review of clinical trial data by the respected nonprofit Cochrane on whether promoting mask-wearing helped slow respiratory viruses found inconclusive results. Whether broad mandates have a significant effect, therefore, hasn't been proven. What researchers do know -- thanks to lab experiments -- is that well-fitted, high-caliber masks such as N-95s protect individuals. "Individuals can therefore choose to wear well-fitted and filtered masks indoors to provide personal protection from respiratory pathogens," said Gandhi, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco -- though she believes in vaccines to prevent severe disease, including among the high-risk. Test, or go to work? Experts agree that it makes sense for people at risk -- the elderly and those with conditions such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes -- to test when they have symptoms. That's because these groups "would benefit from antiviral therapy within the five-day window," said Adaja. The most prominent treatment is Paxlovid, which has been shown to reduce the risk of severe disease and death among high-risk people. Some health systems have decided testing at-risk people is all that's needed. "Most people no longer need to take a coronavirus test. To prevent the spread of infection, you should try to stay at home if you're unwell," says the UK's National Health System. What about long COVID? Research around long COVID -- symptoms that linger for weeks or months -- remains nebulous and hampered by a lack of standardized definitions for a condition that has multiple causes, said Adalja. Al-Aly estimates prevalence at between 4 to 7 percent, or 65 million people worldwide. "Unfortunately, we have not made progress on treating long Covid. This should be an urgent priority for research," he said. It does appear that prior vaccination reduces the risk of long COVID and that the condition is correlated with the severity of infection. The US government has funded several trials into the condition, with one recent study finding a diabetes drug called metformin reduced the risk of ongoing symptoms by 40 percent. Jha said he was hopeful of more data on treatments in the coming months. The post COVID’s back: Here’s what you need to know appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow
US President Joe Biden hailed closer ties with Vietnam on Sunday as the two countries struck a deal to deepen cooperation, including on semiconductors, but said he was not aiming to contain China. The "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Hanoi is part of Washington's push to bolster its network of allies around Asia and the Pacific in the face of Beijing's rising influence. Biden accused Beijing of seeking to bend the international order to its will. "One of the things that is going on now is China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues," Biden said. Sometimes to Beijing's chagrin, Washington has invested heavily in building alliances as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, including the Quad security dialogue with India, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia. Biden said he wanted establish clear ground rules for relations. "I don't want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about," he said. Biden flew in to Hanoi straight from a G20 summit that failed to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels and highlighted deep divisions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US president said he had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 -- a meeting the White House had not announced -- and discussed "stability". Semiconductor deal Global supply chain shocks and fears about US reliance on China for strategic resources have further driven the push to boost ties with the likes of Vietnam. The new partnership includes an agreement on semiconductors, with the United States committing to help Vietnam develop its capabilities and expand production. There is also a section on rare earth minerals, which used in the manufacture of high-tech devices such as smartphones and electric car batteries. Vietnam has the world's second-largest deposits of rare earths after China and US officials say it has a key role to play as it looks to diversify and strengthen its supply chains. Biden moved last month to restrict US investment in Chinese technology in sensitive areas including semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. "This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation," Biden said as he met Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party and the country's paramount leader. "Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time." The deal puts the United States on a par with China -- as well as Russia, India and South Korea -- at the top level of the Vietnamese hierarchy of diplomatic relations. Trong thanked Biden for his contribution to improving US-Vietnamese ties and said his country would work hard to implement the new agreement. Although it is careful to be seen as not taking sides between the United States and China, Vietnam shares US concerns about its neighbour's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. However, The New York Times reported just ahead of Biden's visit that Vietnam was secretly arranging to buy arms from Russia in contravention of US sanctions. The report cited a Vietnamese finance ministry document that laid out plans to fund arms purchases from the Kremlin through a joint oil and gas project in Siberia. AFP has contacted the Vietnamese government for comment. US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told reporters that Washington acknowledged Vietnam's decades-long military relationship with Russia. But he said there was "increasing discomfort on the part of the Vietnamese with that relationship", and the new partnership would help Hanoi "diversify away from those partnerships" by allowing it to source from the United States and its allies. Human rights Biden said he had raised human rights in his meeting with Trong and pledged to "continue our candid dialogue in that regard". Vietnam has a dire rights record. Government critics face intimidation, harassment and imprisonment after unfair trials, and there are reports of police torture to extract confessions, Human Rights Watch says. While Biden has often criticised China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners feared he may not raise the subject. On Monday Biden visit a Hanoi memorial to his friend John McCain, the former US senator shot down and held captive during the Vietnam War who in later years helped rebuild ties between the two countries. The post US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ASEAN leaders agree on 5PC to address Myanmar crisis
JAKARTA, Indonesia – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday called for the complete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) in Myanmar, a set of principles agreed upon by the Association of the Southeast Asian Nation leaders in April 2021 to address the political crisis in the country. Speaking at the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS) here, Marcos said that the Philippines believes that the key to any solution in Myanmar is the inclusive participation of all parties. He also reiterated the Philippines' support for the Special Envoy of ASEAN in pushing the Five-Point Consensus forward. "We maintain that endeavors by other parties to address the crisis should support and complement ASEAN's efforts, and should be done in consultation with the ASEAN Chair," Marcos said. The Five-Point Consensus calls for an immediate cessation of violence, constructive dialogue among all parties, an inclusive political process, the appointment of a Special Envoy of ASEAN, and the provision of humanitarian assistance. Marcos also called for the urgent realization of the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) to help countries address the impacts of climate change. He said that countries with the smallest carbon footprints disproportionately bear the heaviest burden of climate change. "Climate financing, complemented by viable and effective technology transfer and country-specific capacity-building, is needed to expedite a just transition to a climate-resilient economy," Marcos said. He also sought the support of other EAS leaders for the development of the Philippines' strategic minerals supply and value chains. He said that this would boost the Philippines' efforts to ensure a resilient and sustainable future for the region. Marcos concluded his intervention by reaffirming the Philippines' commitment to an open and inclusive regional order where the rule of law and ASEAN Centrality remain the bedrock of an evolving regional architecture. The East Asia Summit is a regional forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Oceanian regions, based on the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism. Membership expanded to 18 countries including Russia and the United States at the Sixth EAS in 2011. The post ASEAN leaders agree on 5PC to address Myanmar crisis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S. Korea in face of China
US President Joe Biden on Friday hailed a "new era" of unity with the leaders of South Korea and Japan as the allies unveiled new three-way security cooperation at a first-of-a-kind summit that has already rattled China. Going tieless in the Camp David presidential retreat, Biden praised the "political courage" of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in turning the page on historical animosity. "Our countries are stronger -- and the world will be safer -- as we stand together. I know that's a belief that we all three share," he told them as he opened the talks in the mountains west of Washington. Biden said the three would pursue "this new era of cooperation and renew our resolve to serve as a force of good across the Indo-Pacific and, quite frankly, around the world." The two treaty-bound US allies largely see eye to eye on the world -- and together are the base for some 84,500 US troops -- but such a summit would have been unthinkable until recently due to the legacy of Japan's harsh 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula. But Yoon, taking political risks at home, has turned the page by resolving a dispute over wartime forced labor, and now calling Japan a partner at a time of high tensions with both China and North Korea. "Today will be remembered as a historic day, where we established a firm institutional basis and commitments to the trilateral partnership," Yoon said. The three leaders will agree to a multi-year plan of regular exercises in all domains, going beyond one-off drills in response to North Korea, and will announce a "commitment to consult" during crises, said Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor. The leaders will also agree to share real-time data on North Korea and to hold summits every year, officials said. Camp David marks the first time the three countries' leaders have met for a standalone summit, not on the sidelines of a larger event, and is the first diplomatic event since 2015 at the resort, which is synonymous with Middle East peacemaking. You can never become Westerner Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, said the summit would have an "affirmative vision" on how the countries can deliver together and was "not taking aim at a country." But Rahm Emanuel, the blunt-speaking US ambassador to Japan, took another tone when he previewed the summit, saying that the three powers "created something that is exactly what China was hoping would never happen." For Emanuel, the former congressman turned ambassador, China should understand one thing: "We are the rising power; they are declining." China has flexed its muscle both at home and in Asia under President Xi Jinping, exerting disputed maritime claims and carrying out major exercises near Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the two economically developed Northeast Asian democracies instead to work with Beijing to "revitalize East Asia." "No matter how blond you dye your hair or how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner," he said in a video shared on official media. "We must know where our roots lie," he said. But China's pressure tactics have led to a sharp deterioration in its favorability in Japan and South Korea, which have traditionally been more discreet than the United States in their comments. Tensions have also risen with North Korea, which has launched a volley of missiles in recent months and is feared to respond with new action in response to the summit. As the Camp David summit opened, North Korea said it had scrambled jets in response to what it called a US spy plane's incursion. Global allies But the summit hopes to move beyond a focus on North Korea or even just Asia. Tokyo and Seoul have offered a major boost to Ukraine as major non-Western powers join pressure against Russia's invasion. The summit aims to institutionalize three-way cooperation to make it difficult for any reversal by a future leader -- a South Korean president who again seizes on hostility with Japan or, potentially, a return of Donald Trump, who has disparaged US troop commitments overseas as wasteful. To the surprise of many observers, Yoon's embrace of Japan has drawn relatively muted protests at home. Both Japanese and South Koreans feel that there are "a number of fundamentally aligned values and interests that should bring them together," said Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior director for East Asia and Oceania on the National Security Council. Yoon, a conservative, has quickly become a close US ally, with Biden welcoming him for a rare state visit in which the South Korean leader regaled the audience by singing "American Pie." But Yoon is constitutionally prohibited from serving more than a single term, which ends in 2027. The post Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S. Korea in face of China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China stops releasing youth jobs data as economic figures disappoint
China said it would stop publishing data on its rising youth unemployment rate on Tuesday, as it released a raft of disappointing figures that stoked concerns over the state of the world's second largest economy. Shortly before the latest uninspiring indicators were published, the central bank cut a key interest rate in an effort to boost flagging growth. Tuesday's data added to a slew of disappointing figures in recent months reflecting a slump in China's post-Covid rebound, with joblessness among 16- to 24-year-olds hitting a record 21.3 percent in June. The country slipped into deflation for the first time in more than two years in July, due to waning consumption and flagging exports. The National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday said it would no longer release age-group-specific unemployment data starting this month, citing the need to "further improve and optimise labour force survey statistics". "Starting from this August, the release of urban unemployment rates for youth and other age groups across the country will be suspended," bureau spokesman Fu Linghui said at a press conference. Overall, unemployment rose to 5.3 percent in July compared with 5.2 percent in June, the NBS said. As indicators of an economic slowdown have piled up, many experts have called for a large-scale recovery plan to boost activity. But for the time being, authorities are sticking to targeted measures and declarations of support for the private sector -- with little in the way of tangible steps. Slowing retail sales Tuesday's announcement that youth unemployment data would be suspended came as Beijing released a series of weak economic indicators for July. Retail sales, a key gauge of consumption, grew 2.5 percent year-on-year in July, the NBS said, down from 3.1 percent in June and falling short of analyst expectations. Industrial production grew 3.7 percent in July from a year ago, down from 4.4 percent in June. The suspension of youth jobs data "may further weaken global investors' confidence in China", Ting Lu, China economist at Nomura, said in a note. Chinese social media users on Tuesday were skeptical of officials' explanation for the move, with the topic receiving over 140 million views and tens of thousands of comments on the Weibo platform. "Can you solve the problem by gagging and blindfolding yourself?" asked one Beijing-based user in a post liked by more than 3,000 people. Chinese leaders have sought to boost domestic consumption in recent weeks, with the State Council last month releasing a 20-point plan to encourage citizens to spend more in sectors including vehicles, tourism and home appliances. The country's top brass has warned that the economy faces "new difficulties and challenges" as well as "hidden dangers in key areas". The recent data suggests China may struggle to achieve a five percent growth target set for the year. The economy grew just 0.8 percent between the first and second quarters of 2023, according to official figures. Rate cut In a surprise move, the central bank on Tuesday cut the medium-term lending facility rate -- the interest for one-year loans to financial institutions -- from 2.65 percent to 2.5 percent. A lower MLF rate reduces commercial banks' financing costs, in turn encouraging them to lend more and potentially boosting domestic consumption. "We believe the Chinese economy is faced with an imminent downward spiral with the worst yet to come, and the rate cut this morning will be of limited help," Lu of Nomura said. The Consumer Price Index, the main gauge of inflation, fell 0.3 percent in July, the National Bureau of Statistics said last week. China slipped into deflation in July for the first time in more than two years, after a short period of deflation at the end of 2020 due largely to a collapse in the price of pork, the most widely consumed meat in the country. While cheaper goods may appear beneficial for purchasing power, falling prices pose a threat to the broader economy as consumers tend to postpone purchases in the hopes of further reductions. A lack of demand then forces companies to reduce production, freeze hiring or lay off workers, and agree to new discounts to sell off their stocks -- dampening profitability even as costs remain the same. The post China stops releasing youth jobs data as economic figures disappoint appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl, Israel seek to boost ties in agri, water management, direct flights
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen vowed to strengthen the partnership between the Philippines and Israel in agriculture, water management, and establishing direct flights between the two countries, Malacañang said on Tuesday. The Palace shared this announcement following Marcos’ and Cohen’s meeting in Malacañang on Monday. Marcos underscored the country’s agricultural development as very important for the nation, as he expressed admiration for Israel’s advancement in agriculture. The President said he was glad the Israeli official brought up the issue because agriculture has been the Philippines’ priority, particularly in improving the economy. “Because when we look at the economy as hard to just test, we said how do we fix the economy. It always comes down to agriculture first, how to fix every policy, then everything else would be great. So that's the position that we find ourselves in,” he said. “So, the offers that you make for assistance and partnership in those two areas are very, very welcome,” he added. In terms of water management, the Philippines, he said, is looking at Israel and Singapore for best practices that the country can imitate. Cohen, for his part, believes that Israel and Philippines can work together on the segment of agriculture. “I just let you know that our land, 60 percent of our land is desert. But although 60 percent of our land is desert, we were able to provide all our water needs,” Cohen said, suggesting that the two nations open an agricultural hub to push the initiative. “And I think that we can work together and let’s say that less import, more export for the Philippines. And I think that we can work together.” Aside from agriculture, Cohen said the Philippines and Israel can also collaborate on water management, noting Israel’s vast experience in this sector. Because of water scarcity, Israel has been reusing large portion of its water resources and it can share its experience in water management with the Philippines, he said, suggesting that an Israeli expert can visit the Philippines to provide advice. In addition to agriculture and water management, Cohen raised the issue of establishing direct flights between the Philippines and Israel to boost tourism and economic ties. “There’s another thing that we, both of us, took for an action item - (it) is to have a direct flight… your external sea between Israel and the Philippines,” Cohen said referring to his earlier meeting with Filipino officials. “And I think that we agree that both ministries will work together to have the direct flight and this is also to bring more business people to come to invest and reach the place between us. So this is also another important action item that we will do.” The post Phl, Israel seek to boost ties in agri, water management, direct flights appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PEZA, DICT sign MOU for `ease of going business’
Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director General Tereso O. Panga and Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John E. Uy signed a Memorandum of Understanding last 18 May at PEZA Head Office for a more synchronized and well-coordinated ICT system in the ecozones. According to Panga, “This partnership is our agencies’ response to the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to ramp up digitalization in government to ensure fast and efficient delivery of services to the public. Additionally, PEZA is committed to carrying out DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual's directive to adopt digital transformation to boost the country's competitiveness as an investment destination, particularly for high-tech and innovator accelerator companies.” “We are once again making another breakthrough as we continuously enhance data security, transparency, and government transactions to better serve our ecozone developers, locators, and investors making the country more conducive to do and expand businesses with,” the Director General added. Agreeing with Marcos' vision for digital transformation, Uy expressed confidence that the MOU signing for e-governance between PEZA and DICT will unify everyone as one government to push for the use of a single operating system for all government transactions. This aims to ensure faster, more streamlined, and more convenient delivery of government services in the country. In support of the government’s digitalization efforts, the signing ceremony proved to strengthen collaborations between PEZA and DICT in achieving and promoting the interconnection and interoperability of their respective systems. Panga highlighted that with the DICT’s help and guidance, the efforts that PEZA has exerted throughout these years, in connection with digitalization, will continue and remain steadfast. That is to enhance office and administrative efficiencies, customer satisfaction, and the delivery of services for a much-improved ease of doing business. Under the signed MOU, the DICT will assess and evaluate as well as assist in the development and enhancement of current applications and systems of PEZA. It will also provide recommendations and strategies for the improvement of the agency’s ICT system. The DICT will also provide an appraisal of the programs and projects that both agencies may agree to develop. It will make sure identified and existing applications and systems of PEZA will be integrated with DICT and of the digitalization aspect of the President’s 8-Point Socio-Economic Agenda. PEZA, being DICT’s digital transformation partner, will in turn provide guidance on its processes and relevant information and data to DICT ensuring that respective systems and applications are interoperable. “By adopting e-governance and advancing the development of various solutions, together, we can eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies, reduce red tape, and provide faster and more convenient access to critical government services,” Uy stated. Likewise, Panga shared that “PEZA has recently rolled out its e-payment system and is set to launch its e-LOA in June this year to automate the remaining office processes to further enhance the facilitation of ecozone shipments. This will make PEZA among the trailblazers in government into cashless and paperless transactions.” PEZA is also eyeing other high-impact IT infrastructure and automation projects for implementation this year. They include hybrid internet connectivity in the ecozones, an e-container tracking system with the Bureau of Customs, electronic visa, and building permits, an e-financial management system, an Engineering Permits Assessment Monitoring System, a digital marketplace, full integration of the public ecozone command centers, and cyber security solutions. The post PEZA, DICT sign MOU for `ease of going business’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoT to ‘enhance’ new tourism tagline
After Senator Nancy Binay raised concerns about the “disconnected messaging” of the Marcos administration’s tourism advertising campaign, “We give the world the best—Philippines,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the tagline will be further enhanced. "The DOT will subsequently come out with a tourism brand for the Philippines aligned with the country brand, and enhancing the present tagline,” said Frasco. During the Department of Tourism lunch reception for tourism frontliners on Thursday, Frasco talked about the country branding "We Give the World our Best" which was introduced by the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Creative Communications. The campaign, launched in the United Kingdom, highlighted the work of Filipino nurses. "There is a sea of opinions about this. But I would like to remind our fellow Filipinos that the statement 'We give the world our best' is a statement of fact. Do you not agree? Is it not true that our Filipino workers all over the world have shown nothing less than a devotion to duty, commitment to responsibility, and a willingness to go the extra mile, to serve with love and compassion? We are Filipinos. We give the world our best," Frasco said. As a former local chief executive and former President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, the DOT chief recalled how she would go from town to town to attend festivals. On those festivals, she said, she always saw how communities and local government units gave their best preparations for their guests, "because that is the nature of being a Filipino". "And that is why we fully support the campaign of our President to put forth to the world that the Philippines has no intention of putting out nothing less than the best. And that idea is translated further into what we have to offer in the Philippines. We have the best beaches, the best sites, the best nature destinations. And we have the best tour guides," she stressed. Further, she said, "That translates to everything that permeates our sense of hospitality and service as a tourism industry. 'We give the world our best' is a statement of fact. It is a rallying call. And it is aspirational for those who may still face a host of challenges and through government intervention will finally have the opportunity to be developed and fully maximized." Binay on Wednesday said that although she appreciates the initiative and the effort to give the Philippines the needed boost in the global market, there seems to be a disconnect in messaging. “Is the ad intended to encourage tourists to visit the country? Is it aimed to encourage more foreign investments? Or is it meant for hospitals abroad to hire our nurses? This is really vague,” Binay, who chairs the Senate Committee on Tourism, said in a statement on Wednesday. The lawmaker highlighted the need to emphasize who is the intended audience of the released advertising campaign. The post DoT to ‘enhance’ new tourism tagline appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OPEC+ talks could lead to modest rise in oil output
London—The OPEC+ group of oil-producing countries are to meet Thursday and are expected to agree to boost output in August to meet demand and limit recent price rises......»»
North Cotabato, Indonesia agree to boost economic cooperation
Indonesian Consul General Dicky Fabrian and North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco have agreed to embark on joint programs meant to boost the economy of the province......»»
Marcos Jr. eyes stronger maritime ties with India
The Philippines is seeking stronger maritime security cooperation with India to ensure the safety of seafarers from both nations as the world’s oceans are becoming more dangerous for commercial shipping, President Marcos said......»»
Opinion - South China Sea- Philippines must softly manage disputes or miss out economically
Manilas assertive transparency strategy is touted as a model for managing maritime disputes but it diminishes key economic opportunities. As Chinese investment pours into other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines must reduce geopolitical risks without acquiescing to Beijing......»»
Reflecting on Your Business Setbacks
Challenges are an inevitable part of any endeavor, especially a business one. From unforeseen economic shifts to internal operational hurdles, every business owner will inevitably face obstacles that test their resolve. As we live in a fast-paced world, we sometimes forget about looking back, and what better time to do it than the Holy Week? […].....»»
Cebu bus terminals: 100,000 passengers expected on March 27
CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 100,000 passengers are expected to flock to two of the biggest bus terminals here in Cebu for the Holy Week this year. As early as 7 a.m. on Holy Wednesday, dozens already queued for buses at the Cebu North Bus Terminal (CNBT) in the North Reclamation Area. READ MORE:.....»»
Mandaue drug bust: P476,000 ‘shabu’ seized from HVI
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Authorities seized suspected shabu worth at least P476,000 from a 45-year-old man described as a high-value individual during an anti-illegal drugs operation in Mandaue City early on Wednesday morning, March 27, 2024. The operation took place along Realty Road in the North Reclamation Area in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, Cebu. The.....»»
Ministry helping improve BARMM’s business climate names 10 new officials
The Bangsamoro chief minister has filled out ten regional positions in one of the ministries under him to boost its operation as requested by business blocs enticing foreign investors to venture into viable businesses in the region......»»